Servus computer...

[Dean Hoffman]

This picture is from the `1970s. There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.
<https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/>
The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent. Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
The next page shows the all female band, the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.

 

[Tauno Voipio]

On 1.9.20 15.45, Dean Hoffman wrote:

  This picture is from the `1970s.   There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/

 The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent.   Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
    The next page shows the all female band,  the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.

No - the first pocket calculator was made for Bill Hewlett, by HP.

--

-TV

 

[John S]

On 9/1/2020 1:32 PM, Tauno Voipio wrote:

On 1.9.20 15.45, Dean Hoffman wrote:
   This picture is from the `1970s.   There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.

Nice lungs, too!

https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/

  The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments
were the most prominent.   Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first
with the hand held calculator?
     The next page shows the all female band,  the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.

No - the first pocket calculator was made for Bill Hewlett, by HP.

 

[Dean Hoffman]

On 9/1/20 7:56 PM, John S wrote:

On 9/1/2020 1:32 PM, Tauno Voipio wrote:
On 1.9.20 15.45, Dean Hoffman wrote:
   This picture is from the `1970s.   There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.

Nice lungs, too!

3/5 of The Runaways on the next page are in bikinis.
It looks like the monitor is about a foot and a half deep.
Who knows how hard it was to run it. The first computer my boss had at
his business was really finicky about operating temperature. He had a
special room built for it and the operator.
Fast forward about forty years or so. My last boss had three
monitors on some sort of bracket on his desk. They are maybe an inch
and a half thick.
I worked mostly outside and had an iPhone. Heat would shut it down
if I left it on top of a metal control panel or on the dash of my
pickup. It seemed ok otherwise in outside temperatures which would hit
100 F sometimes. Cold didn\'t seem to bother it much except for battery
life.

https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/

  The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments
were the most prominent.   Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first
with the hand held calculator?
     The next page shows the all female band,  the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.

No - the first pocket calculator was made for Bill Hewlett, by HP.

 

[Pimpom]

On 9/1/2020 6:15 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:

This picture is from the `1970s. There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/
The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent. Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
The next page shows the all female band, the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.

\"This desktop computer looks like bricks compared to the
technology available to us today and it’s a wonder how anyone
ever got any work done back then.\" 50 years from now, some people
will say the same thing about today\'s technology. And in yet
another 50 years......

 

[Tabby]

On Wednesday, 2 September 2020 18:45:36 UTC+1, Pimpom wrote:

On 9/1/2020 6:15 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
This picture is from the `1970s. There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/
The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent. Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
The next page shows the all female band, the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.


\"This desktop computer looks like bricks compared to the
technology available to us today and it’s a wonder how anyone
ever got any work done back then.\" 50 years from now, some people
will say the same thing about today\'s technology. And in yet
another 50 years......

Oh yes, computers today are a far cry from a mature technology

Computers were in use in the 1920s. They were mechanical & analogue. Well.... computers in the sense of calculators began in the 1600s. I don\'t think the abacus qualifies as any sort of computer.


NT

 

[Mike Coon]

In article <695bb8f8-6ee9-4b73-be60-5f6f0a4be3ddo@googlegroups.com>,
tabbypurr@gmail.com says...

Computers were in use in the 1920s. They were mechanical & analogue.

Well... computers in the sense of calculators began in the 1600s. I
don\'t think the abacus qualifies as any sort of computer.

No, less so, I think, than Napiers Bones.

Mike.

 

[Piotr Wyderski]

Pimpom wrote:

\"This desktop computer looks like bricks compared to the technology
available to us today and it’s a wonder how anyone ever got any work
done back then.\" 50 years from now, some people will say the same thing
about today\'s technology. And in yet another 50 years......

I am already fed up with the \"modern\" technology, don\'t need to wait for
more 50 years. The best mobile I have ever had was the Nokia 6300. Then
I switched to the N95, which was still OK and then to some Galaxy
touch-only Android-based junk. I have never seen such an unintuitive
interface, couldn\'t get used to it for 3 years. Now I need to buy
another mobile because of the physical damage of the Samsung (what a
pity...). I am either going to go back to the 6300 or give a chance to a
BB, which still has a proper keyboard.

Best regards, Piotr

 

[Martin Brown]

On 03/09/2020 10:21, Mike Coon wrote:

In article <695bb8f8-6ee9-4b73-be60-5f6f0a4be3ddo@googlegroups.com>,
tabbypurr@gmail.com says...

Computers were in use in the 1920s. They were mechanical & analogue.
Well... computers in the sense of calculators began in the 1600s. I
don\'t think the abacus qualifies as any sort of computer.

No, less so, I think, than Napiers Bones.

Abacuses were still in use in Japanese banks in the 1990\'s. A skilled
operative can be faster than a calculator for addition and subtraction.
It was quite impressive to watch them.


--
Regards,
Martin Brown

 

[Michael_A_Terrell]

Dean Hoffman wrote:

This picture is from the `1970s. There\'s a pretty woman sitting next
to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/

The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent. Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
The next page shows the all female band, the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.

A \'70s computer with no floppy or tape drive? It looks like a cheap
computer terminal, not a computer.

TI had their \'Silent 700\' series.
Xerox had their 820 \'Big Board\' Z80 based computer.
IBM had many variations.

--
Never piss off an Engineer!

They don\'t get mad.

They don\'t get even.

They go for over unity! ;-)

 

[server]

On Wed, 2 Sep 2020 16:02:52 -0700 (PDT), Tabby <tabbypurr@gmail.com>
wrote:

On Wednesday, 2 September 2020 18:45:36 UTC+1, Pimpom wrote:
On 9/1/2020 6:15 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
This picture is from the `1970s. There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/
The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent. Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
The next page shows the all female band, the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.


\"This desktop computer looks like bricks compared to the
technology available to us today and it’s a wonder how anyone
ever got any work done back then.\" 50 years from now, some people
will say the same thing about today\'s technology. And in yet
another 50 years......

Oh yes, computers today are a far cry from a mature technology

Computers were in use in the 1920s. They were mechanical & analogue. Well... computers in the sense of calculators began in the 1600s. I don\'t think the abacus qualifies as any sort of computer.

The word \"computer\" has been used for centuries referring to human
computers performing routine calculations e.g. in astronomy (planetary
orbits). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(job_description)



Some astronomers hired unmarried women, some of which later became the
wife of the astronomer .

 

[Bill Sloman]

On Friday, September 4, 2020 at 3:44:47 AM UTC+10, upsid...@downunder.com wrote:

On Wed, 2 Sep 2020 16:02:52 -0700 (PDT), Tabby <tabb...@gmail.com
wrote:
On Wednesday, 2 September 2020 18:45:36 UTC+1, Pimpom wrote:
On 9/1/2020 6:15 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
This picture is from the `1970s. There\'s a pretty woman sitting
next to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/
The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent. Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
The next page shows the all female band, the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.


\"This desktop computer looks like bricks compared to the
technology available to us today and it’s a wonder how anyone
ever got any work done back then.\" 50 years from now, some people
will say the same thing about today\'s technology. And in yet
another 50 years......

Oh yes, computers today are a far cry from a mature technology

Computers were in use in the 1920s. They were mechanical & analogue. Well... computers in the sense of calculators began in the 1600s. I don\'t think the abacus qualifies as any sort of computer.
The word \"computer\" has been used for centuries referring to human
computers performing routine calculations e.g. in astronomy (planetary
orbits). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(job_description)

Some astronomers hired unmarried women, some of which later became the
wife of the astronomer .

Some of \"whom\". Calling them witches wouldn\'t go down well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Herschel

relied on his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline Lucretia Herschel . She was rather more than just a computor.

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney

 

[Dean Hoffman]

On 9/3/20 10:35 AM, Michael_A_Terrell wrote:

Dean Hoffman wrote:
  This picture is from the `1970s.   There\'s a pretty woman sitting next
to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/


 The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent.   Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
    The next page shows the all female band,  the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.


   A \'70s computer with no floppy or tape drive? It looks like a cheap
computer terminal, not a computer.

TI    had their \'Silent 700\' series.
Xerox had their 820 \'Big Board\' Z80 based computer.
IBM   had many variations.

Curiosity got the best of me. There\'s a picture of the same
woman holding a big spool under the original one.
<https://theattic.jezebel.com/woman-works-at-computer-1770323382>
Didn\'t people run cables to the actual computers which sat on the
floor somewhere nearby because of their size?

 

[Dennis]

On 9/4/20 6:32 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:

On 9/3/20 10:35 AM, Michael_A_Terrell wrote:
Dean Hoffman wrote:
  This picture is from the `1970s.   There\'s a pretty woman sitting next
to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/


 The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent.   Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
    The next page shows the all female band,  the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.


    A \'70s computer with no floppy or tape drive? It looks like a
cheap computer terminal, not a computer.

TI    had their \'Silent 700\' series.
Xerox had their 820 \'Big Board\' Z80 based computer.
IBM   had many variations.

       Curiosity got the best of me.  There\'s a  picture of the same
woman holding a big spool under the original one.
https://theattic.jezebel.com/woman-works-at-computer-1770323382
    Didn\'t people run cables to the actual computers which sat on the
floor somewhere nearby because of their size?

Actually it looks like a disk pack. Maybe a 5444 - a couple MB capacity
on a 14\" platter.

 

[Michael_A_Terrell]

Dean Hoffman wrote:

On 9/3/20 10:35 AM, Michael_A_Terrell wrote:
Dean Hoffman wrote:
This picture is from the `1970s. There\'s a pretty woman sitting next
to a Servus computer.
https://www.pastfactory.com/culture/rare-vintage-photos-take-you-back-to-life-in-the-70s/9/


The note with the picture said IBM, Xerox, and Texas Instruments were
the most prominent. Wasn\'t Texas Instruments among the first with the
hand held calculator?
The next page shows the all female band, the Runaways.
They ain\'t ugly.


A \'70s computer with no floppy or tape drive? It looks like a
cheap computer terminal, not a computer.

TI had their \'Silent 700\' series.
Xerox had their 820 \'Big Board\' Z80 based computer.
IBM had many variations.

Curiosity got the best of me. There\'s a picture of the same
woman holding a big spool under the original one.
https://theattic.jezebel.com/woman-works-at-computer-1770323382
Didn\'t people run cables to the actual computers which sat on the
floor somewhere nearby because of their size?

Large computers sat on computer flooring, where all the cables and
the cold air for cooling were hidden from sight. You removed one of the
2\' by 2\' concrete or steel tiles, and positioned a rack over it. Tiles
with a corner notch could let cabling for terminals come up to a desk.
The same flooring system was used in the control rooms of some TV
stations, and military command centers for the same reasons.

A TV station in Fairbanks, Alaska went cheap. They cut squares out
of the concrete floor, tapered so they wouldn\'t fall through. One of
their engineers was running some new cables and had several of them
removed. Something went wrong with their equipment. He ran towards the
master console, but he ended up laying on the bar in a restaurant on the
floor below. Being on autopilot can get you killed!


--
Never piss off an Engineer!

They don\'t get mad.

They don\'t get even.

They go for over unity! ;-)

 

[Mike Coon]

In article <rivb54$h1s$1@dont-email.me>, terrell.michael.a@gmail.com
says...

Dean Hoffman wrote:
Large computers sat on computer flooring, where all the cables and
the cold air for cooling were hidden from sight. You removed one of the
2\' by 2\' concrete or steel tiles, and positioned a rack over it. Tiles
with a corner notch could let cabling for terminals come up to a desk.
The same flooring system was used in the control rooms of some TV
stations, and military command centers for the same reasons.

A TV station in Fairbanks, Alaska went cheap. They cut squares out
of the concrete floor, tapered so they wouldn\'t fall through. One of
their engineers was running some new cables and had several of them
removed. Something went wrong with their equipment. He ran towards the
master console, but he ended up laying on the bar in a restaurant on the
floor below. Being on autopilot can get you killed!

The following quote appeared in a book (1996) of reminiscences from
staff of my former employer. However since I discovered it and
contributed it, I hope I am not breaking copyright by offering it here.

Un avis rouge, par telex, 1987
Mike Coon
Why a lingua franca is not une lingue française:
DUE TO LARGE RAIN SINCE TWO WEEKS THE TOWN OF SAINTES IS INUNDATED. CRCA
SAINTES BUILDING HAS WATER UNTIL 1ST FLOOR. THE 2972s AND 2966s HAVE
BEEN DECONNECTED AND HOUSED TODAY UNDER PLASTIC WITH VACUUM CLEANING.
NOW THE WATER MAKES FLUSH WITH THE FALSE FLOOR OF COMPUTER ROOM. THE
CUSTOMER CANT STOP HIS WORK ON COMPUTER AND WILL GO WORK ON CRCA AVIGNON
MACHINE SATURDAY 25TH AND SUNDAY 26TH DECEMBER.
ONCE THE WATER LEAVES WE WILL HAVE TO DRY COMPUTER ROOM AND TO
COMMISSION AGAIN THE SYSTEMS. IT IS LIKELY WE COMMISSION ONLY THE 2966s
(IN THIS CASE SEE AVP RED ALERT) BUT THE COMMISSIONING RISK TO BE LONG
TIME AS THE SYSTEMS HAVE PERHAPS ENDURE HUMIDITY.